I stay up-to-the-minute on news and pop culture events (probably to the detriment of my mental health). What should I do when a friend starts telling me a long story about some current event that I’m well aware of? Is there a polite way to say “Yes, I know about that already”? I don’t want to seem like a know-it-all. —T.L.

There’s nothing rude about breaking in gently when friends start recounting a story we already know. The awkward part is snatching the conversation away from them mid-speech. Avoid this problem by saying “Yes, I saw that. What do you make of it?” You skip the summary of the story you already know but return the mic quickly to your friends so they can take the conversation wherever it is they intended to.


—Adapted from “Social Q’s” in The New York Times Magazine